


Flowers

by paynesgrey



Category: Tower Prep
Genre: F/M, Ficlet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-17
Updated: 2010-12-17
Packaged: 2020-10-04 13:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20471438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paynesgrey/pseuds/paynesgrey
Summary: Written for the fic fest attower_prep.





	Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the fic fest at [](http://tower-prep.livejournal.com/profile)[tower_prep](http://tower-prep.livejournal.com/).

He stares at the vase of flowers on his desk, sighing in exasperation as he remembers who they are really for.

He could have left them die, thrown them in the trash, but Ray can’t do it. He chooses to preserve them and let the flowers live a little longer. They’re for Suki, and though he finds out that there are bigger things going on with her, Tower Prep, and her little gang, Ray can’t bring himself to give up on her yet.

He continues to stare at the flowers with a pout, and when his roommate comes through the door, he ignores the jokes and slurs to why Ray has flowers at all, and when he gets frustrated with the background chatter, Ray grabs the vase and leaves, heading down the hall before curfew toward Suki’s room.

Before knocking he stops at the door, hesitantly lifting his fist and wondering if he’ll be rejected again. After all, he did carry her when she was wounded. That has to account for something.

After a few light knocks, a girl who isn’t Suki opens the door, and she glares at him. Ray frowns at her and asks for Suki, only to find out that she isn’t there.

He can just leave the flowers, hoping they’ll get to her, but Ray knows it’s not the same. He wants to see the recognition in her eyes. He wants to gauge her reaction; maybe she give him some sign of hope.

He takes the flowers back to the room, tells Don to shut up before he says anything, and he angrily does his homework and goes to bed nervous and annoyed.

Ray wakes up that morning and knows the day is going to suck. He has his first period class with Suki, and he has to muster up the courage to give the flowers to her then. (Stupid Archer; he knows he’ll say something. Ray shouldn’t care. He can beat Archer into the ground if he so chooses, but he will not try violence in front of Suki.)

Ray gets to class early that morning. No one is there yet, and no one bats an eye as he lugs the vase of flowers to class. With no one around he sets it in Suki’s spot, and he waits.

_This is really going to suck_, he thinks, feeling his knees go weak. But he’s strong, and it’s not just his ability either. He can deal with Archer’s stupid face and Forrest’s insipid wise cracks. He can’t deal with Suki’s rejection, though. Not anymore, but he doesn’t think she’ll reject him this time.

Not after yesterday.

(Or so he hopes.)

Minutes fly by, students filter in, looking at the flowers in wonder, and Suki arrives, and her face turns red. Ray thinks it’s pretty to see her so embarrassed.

“Oh, Suki, you have an admirer,” Forrest states mockingly.

She shakes her head. “I don’t understand. Who are these from?” She looks to Archer and Forest, as if those two would ever be so thoughtful. Ray springs from his seat and approaches her, lightly leaning against her arm.

“They’re from me,” he says with an easy smile. He tilts his head and speaks softly, just above a whisper. “I brought them for you yesterday, but you weren’t in the infirmary. I hope you’re legs are better.”

Ray watches Suki closely. She almost looks conflicted, but he can tell in her eyes that she’s deeply touched. Ray doesn’t dare look at Archer and Forrest. They can rot in Suki’s presence for all he cares.

“No one’s ever brought me flowers before,” she says, almost awed, then a smile tugs at her lips. She says, almost meekly. “Thank you, Ray.”

And for a girl who’s voice can be anything, from scary to just plain weird, right now Ray thinks she sounds very sweet.

He smiles back, much more assured. Score one for Ray.  



End file.
